Nursing Education

Nursing program graduates earn the Associate in Applied Science degree and take the national licensure examination for registered nurses. Graduates may seek employment in various patient care settings as registered nurses or further their education to obtain a higher degree in nursing.
Registered Nursing Brochure.

Emergency Room Trauma Nurse Marvin Turner is
featured in a video about DeKalb Medical in Atlanta.
Turner is a May 2012 graduate of Jefferson State’s
nursing program..

The Nursing Education Program offers two options:

a five term
program of study (including summers) which is taught during the day,

and a seven term Night/Weekend track that is taught evenings and weekends.

Both options combine general education and nursing courses in a sequence that allows the student to develop the basic skills for nursing practice.

The nursing program is taught on the Jefferson and Shelby-Hoover Campuses as well as on the Pell City site and the Chilton-Clanton Campus. Students are admitted to the Jefferson and Shelby-Hoover Campuses each semester and to Pell City and Chilton-Clanton each spring (See
Admission Requirements).

A student should plan to complete the program on the campus to which he is admitted. Changing campuses to complete the program will be allowed only in extenuating circumstances on a space available basis. The nursing Admission and Progression Committee will make the final decision in the event a transfer between campuses is requested.

During the first semester of the Nursing Education Program, students begin to learn basic patient care skills in the nursing laboratory. These basic skills combined with knowledge acquired in the classroom provide a foundation for the clinical experiences. The clinical experiences are obtained in a variety of hospitals and other settings in and around the College’s service areas.

Students entering the Nursing Education Program are exposed to a variety of educational teaching methods. All nursing courses are web-supported using the Blackboard learning platform. Some nursing courses offer computer adaptive instruction to enhance course content while other courses use the computer for multi-media demonstration of skills, evaluation, and testing. Basic computer skills, including email capability, are needed while enrolled in the program. Computer access is available to all students at all locations in the Learning Success Center and/or the library. Please check each location for hours of operation.

Upon admission to the nursing program, students are required to submit to a screening for drugs and alcohol prior to assignment for clinical experiences. Random drug and alcohol screenings are required throughout the program. All screening for drugs and alcohol will be performed at the expense of the student.

A background screen will be required prior to admission to the program. Clinical agencies may deny facility access based upon a student’s background screen. The cost of this screen must be paid by the student. Individuals with criminal charges who plan to apply to the program should contact the Director of Nursing to confidentially discuss their eligibility for program admission.